Radial flow turbine



RADIAL FLOW TURBINE Filed Feb. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I; INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 14, 1944. MElNlNGHAUs 2,344,100

RADIAL FLOW TURBINE Filed Feb. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2(I NVENTO R ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 14, 1944 RADIAD FLOWTURBINE Ulrich Meininghaus, Mulhelm nuhr, Germany; rated in the Alien Property Custodian Application February 19, 1941, Serial No. 379,610 lmqlennany February 29, 1940 5 Claims. (61. 253-46) The present invention relates to rotary machines su as steam or gas turbines in which a working medium flows through a plurality of blades in a radial direction. varying in pressure during such fiow.

It is the general object of the invention to provide .an improved balancing of the thrusts of the discs carrying the radially traversed blades, and in particular to balance the thrusts of a plurality of such bladed discs prebenting more than two planes of rotating discs by the thrust ofone single inwardly traversed labyrinth and yet to secure an almost perfect balance under all conditions. Other, more specific obiects of the invention will appear from the detailed description hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example two embodiments of the invention. Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings are vertical sections through radial fiow steam turbines constructed according to the invention.

In- Fig. 1 the steam enters the turbine at I enters the nozzles 2 and impinges theblades 3 of the velocity stage and then flows through the radially traversed reaction blades 4 to I representing four planes of rotating blades. The rear sides of the wheels 9 and 9 which carry the blades 1 and I are each fitted with a labyrinth packing in and H. The labyrinth packing I9 is connected at its outer circumference with the space vbehind, or at the discharge side of, the nozzles 2, that is with the steam before it enters traversed blading 5, but before the outlet of the last plane of the radially traversed blading I I obtain for the first time a characteristic of the change in thrust for .the inwardly traversed labyrinth packing III which coincides surprisingly well with the characteristic of change in thrust 'for the radial fiow blading. Generally these characteristics differ to a degree that makes the otherwise convenient arrangement of the inwardly traversed labyrinth packing unfitted for balancing the thrust of high pressure turbines. .The main reason for this disadvantage lies in the fact that the diameters of the labyrinths and therewith the size of the throttling the first radial flow blading 4. At its inner half, it is connected with the space It between the bladings 9 and 1 by means of the pipe II. The steam of this space it flows to the labyrinth packing ll through the holes l4 in the wheel. 9. The labyrinth packing II equalizes in good approximation the axial thrustof the blading I. It would be possible to guide the leaking steam fromthe pipe I! directly to the labyrinth packing II, but with the illustrated arrangement I gain the advantage that the hot leakage steam increases the work transformed in the blading 'I and that comparatively cold steam which gave 0!! part of its heat content in the bladings 4 to 9 enters the labyrinth packing H. The flange 15 between the bladings and 4 may serve for admitting by-pass-steam or-for bleeding.

By leading the first connection of the inner part of the inwardly traversed labyrinth packing Ill with the stream of working medium flowing through the blading, by means of the pipe I! to a point behind the second plane of the radially areas decrease whilst the steam expands. The best efiect is reached when the first connection of the inner part of the inwardly traversed labyrinth packing ID with the steam flow through the blading is led as shownin Fig. l by means of the pipe I! to a point between the third plane 9 and the fourth plane 'I of the radially traversed blading. It is then possible to admit by-passsteam or to bleed steam at l5 between the sec- 0nd and third planes 5 and 6 without disturb- -ing the balance of the thrusts. I prefer to provide an additional labyrinth packing II which istraversed in an outward direction to relieve the thrust of the labyrinth packing in at least by the thrust of one plane of the radial flow blading. Such outwardly traversed labyrinth packing ll may advantageously be arranged at the rear side of the last wheel 9 and balance approximately the axial thrust of the blading I of such wheel. By such arrangement I obtain a practically perfect balance under all conditions with simple parts and with great compactness of structure. When the steam volume is large, the wheel 9 may carry on the rear side also blades traversed parallel to the blading 1 instead of the labyrinth packing II.

In Fig. 2, for which the same reference characters apply as for Fig. 1, the inner part of the outwardly traversed labyrinth packing H is omitted up to a diameter which about corresponds to the mean outer diameter of the bladings 4, 5 and 6. The connection of the inner part of the inwardly traversed labyrinth packing III with the steam flow in the blading leads through pipe I 2 to the inner diameter of the outwardly traversed labyrinth packing II and through the holes l4 in the wheel 9 to the corresponding point of the blading I. With this arrangement I balance the sum of the thrusts of the bladings 4, 5, 9 and of the inner part of the blading! by the thrust of the inwardly traversed labyrinth packing I. Only the thrust of the outer rim of the blading I is balanced by the outwardly traversed labyrinth packing ll. As the areas or the bladings 4 to 1, so far as they are balanced by the labyrinth packing II, are approximately equal,

- any change in the course of the pressure drop through such blading will scarcely ail'ect the balance. The pressure at the shaft glands is further reduced and the arrangement simplifled as compared with Fig. 1. But the periectness o1 halonce under all conditions is best with the arrangement 01 Fig. 1.

Obviously, my invention is not restricted to rotary machines of the speciflc i'orm illustrated, but, for example, may be used with machines having axially traversed blades or labyrinths which are staggered in radial direction.

I claim: 1. In a rotary machine, such as a reaction steam or gas turbine, the combination of a shaft, rotating discs arranged on said shaft, a plurality of radially traversed rows of blades on each oi! said discs and arranged to be impinged by a working medium, there being more than three planes oi rotating discs, stationary discs carrying blades cooperating with said rotating discs, the working medium flowing at diiierent average pressures along the two sides of at least certain of said rotating discs and moving in the same general axial direction, and thus exerting axial thrusts upon said shaft in such direction, and a radially. trav- Y ersed labyrinth packing on the unbladed side 0! the flrst impinged rotating disc, the outer diameter of such labyrinth packing being connected with the stream of the working medium flowing through the machine at a point in advance of the entry of the working medium into the reaction blading, and the immediately next connection with the stream or working medium flowing through the machine being provided at the inner part of such labyrinth packing and leading to a point behind that radial plane of the reaction blading which is the second in the direction of the flow oi the working medium, but in advance of the last row of reaction blading.

2. In a rotary machine, such as a reaction steam or gas turbine, the combination accordins flowing through the machine at the inner part of such labyrinth packing leads to a point between the third and the last radial plane of the reaction blading seen in the direction or the flow of the working medium.

3. In a rotary machine, such as a reaction steam or gas turbine, the combination of a shaft, rotating discs arrangedon said shaft, aplurality oi radially traversed rows of blades on the inner side of the end discs and on both sides of the central "disk and arranged to be impinged by a working medium, there being more than three planes of rotating disks, stationary disks carrying blades cooperating with said rotatingdisks. the working medium flowing at diii'erent average pressures along the two sides of at least certain of said rotating disks and moving in the same general axial direction and thus exerting axial thrusts upon said shaft in the same direction, and radially traversed labyrinth packings on the unbladed outer sides of said end disks, the outer diameters of such labyrinth packing being in open connection with the outer diameters oi the bladings on the other sides oi said disks and the inner parts of suchlabyrinth packings being both connected with some point in the stream of working medium flowing through the reaction blading.

4. In a rotary machine, such as a reaction steam or gas turbine, the combination according to claim 3, wherein the inner parts of said labyrinth packings are both connected with a point in the stream of working medium between the third and the last radial plane 01' the reaction blading seen in the direction 01 the flow oi the working medium.

5. In a rotary machine, such as a reaction steam or gas turbine, the combination according to claim 3, wherein the inner parts of said labyrinth packings are both connected-with a point in the stream of working'medium within the last radial plane oi the reaction blading at a diameter which corresponds to the mean outer diameter oi the other radial flow blading groups.

ULRICH MEININGHAUS. 

